Entrepreneurial identity development through digital media

Entrepreneurial identity development through digital media reveals three distinct identity types—solution-driven, purpose-driven, and lifestyle-driven—that emerge from strategic interactions and brand co-creation practices. The study highlights how entrepreneurs shape their identities by reflecting on communication with audiences via digital platforms, ultimately framing media management as a practice of self-development. Conducted through 29 qualitative interviews and observations at the neudeli startup incubator in Weimar, this research provides insight into the nuanced ways digital media facilitates entrepreneurial identity formation, offering a new lens to understand strategic sparring and brand co-creation in startup ecosystems.

Horst, S.-O., Järventie-Thesleff, R., & Perez-Latre, F. J. (2019). Entrepreneurial identity development through digital media. Journal of Media Business Studies, 17(2), 87–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2019.1689767